This report presents an analysis of the planned spending of European Structural and Investment funds in the Czech Republic,Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia for 2014-2020.

This report compiles all publicly available data on investor-state dispute settlement cases taken against EU member states since 1994. It highlights the irrefutable attack on recent EU accession countries and the environment, as well as the cost this system has already had on EU taxpayers and European democracy.

The ‘investor-state dispute settlement’ mechanism has been coming under growing public scrutiny due to its inclusion in the ongoing negotiations of an EU-US trade deal and the recently concluded EU-Canada trade treaty.

The global development of 'unconventional' fossil fuels such as shale gas has provoked much debate involving scientists, industry, political decision-makers, environmental groups and civil society. More than a decade of large-scale development in North America has left a legacy of environmental damage, primarily resulting from the use of high-volume horizontal hydraulic-fracturing (also known as 'fracking') to extract the unconventional oil and gas.

Following a decade of deregulatory initiatives under the outgoing European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, the new President, Jean-Claude Juncker, looks set to oversee another five years of weakening of legislation and scrapping of rules, especially environmental and social protections.

This report shows the systemic failure of the Nigerian government and oil giant Shell to clean up the horrendous oil pollution in the Niger Delta, despite recommendations made by a major UN study three years ago today.

This report maps out the lobbying offensive in Brussels to capture the political process around shale gas development, and to block proposals to tighten regulation of the industry.

This report exposes the key players involved – their targets and tactics – and examines the activities of the main shale gas lobby groups and individual companies involved. It reveals a web of lobbying activity, incorporating industry players from both sides of the Atlantic.

This briefing demonstrates how corporate lobby groups are using trade threats, and particularly the EU-US trade talks as a vehicle to attack, weaken and delay important environmental regulation still in the making. The Fuel Quality Directive has already being delayed and potentially weakened threatening EU climate policies and an influx of tar sands to Europe.

Following the entry into force in December 2013 of the legislation on EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020, Member States began elaborating their framework planning documents on EU regional development funding, namely Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes, laying down investment strategies and plans for the next generation of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF).

This new research finds that, in a new frontier for shale gas, big energy companies such as Chevron, Shell and Total are 'heading south' to drill in Argentina, including in protected natural areas. This dash for unconventional fossil fuels is taking place at the expense of the interests of local communities, workers and the environment.